A high-profile Catholic sexual abuse case in Canada has been delayed after the Presentation Brothers of Ireland filed for bankruptcy before the trial got underway.
The order is being sued by Nicholas Harrison over claims of sexual, physical and psychological abuse.
Harrison, who was a student at Sacred Heart Elementary School in Prince George between 1973 and 1977, is also suing two deceased members of the order, Dennis O’Mahoney, a school principal known as Brother Leopold, and Vincent James, a teacher known as Brother Paschal.
The four-week jury trial was supposed to begin on Monday at B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, but, according to CBS News, an “11th-hour” bankruptcy declaration by one of the defendants has delayed the proceeding.
Harrison’s civil suit, which dates back to 2022, initially included other defendants but he has since settled claims against the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate as well as the Diocese of Prince George and the Catholic Independent Schools Diocese of Prince George.
The Presentation Brothers, an international religious order of Roman Catholic laymen whose primary purpose is education of young people, deny the allegations of abuse.
In court documents they say the plaintiff’s lawsuit was unreasonably delayed.
CBC News say they were unable to reach the Presentation Brothers for comment and there was no counsel in court for the order on Monday.
In a move that Harrison’s lawyer Sandra Kovacs described as “unexpected”, the Presentation Brothers filed for bankruptcy less than a week before the trial was set to begin.
“Having thrown this wrench into the wheels at the 11th hour really prejudices my client,” Kovacs told Judge Kevin Loo in court.
Kovacs declared that the Brothers had “surreptitiously” filed for bankruptcy noting that a search of bankruptcy proceedings showed the Brothers have declared liabilities of about $72,000 and “just $1 in total assets.”
Kovacs said Harrison has been prejudiced by the timing of the bankruptcy as they will not know the organisation’s available assets until a meeting of the creditors on December 2.
“The plaintiff does not wish for an adjournment,” Kovacs said. “He has been on a 27-year journey for justice, but to proceed to a lengthy trial without knowing what recovery is available is foolhardy.”
Adding that the delay is emotionally distressing to Harrison, Kovacs said in the documents that counsel had spent “tremendous resources” preparing for the trial.
Loo agreed to adjourn the trial to a later date.
Harrison told CBC News outside of the courtroom, how he had been “very much looking forward to having them have to answer for all of this”.
“I want them to feel what it's like to be living in fear and shame and guilt like I had to live with for a long time.”
Harrison, a professor, actor, author and playwright, added: “I stand with ghosts of people who left, who chose to leave because it was easier.
“I vowed to my former lawyer that I wasn't going to shut up because it's not just about me, and people need to understand that. It's about the children that are hurt.”